182: Chapter 182 Zhang Qiu Comes to the Door

The cold of the winter night pierced to the bone, and a thick layer of condensation had formed on the glass window.

A layer of grayish-white light filtered through the window lattice, revealing the outlines of the furniture inside. The sky had already brightened, and the morning light dispelled the heavy night mist on the long street of the small town.

The door handle of the inner room emitted a very slight turning sound.

The door hinge turned open.

Su Qinghan walked out on tiptoe.

Her first glance fell upon the man sleeping on the sofa, fully clothed.

She stopped in her tracks, not making a sound to wake him.

She turned around, returned to the bedroom, took out a soft quilt from the cabinet, and walked to the sofa with light steps.

She leaned over slightly, removed the coat from Zhu Wenhao, carefully covered him with the soft quilt, and tucked the edges in snugly.

After doing this, Su Qinghan turned and walked into the kitchen.

She didn't turn on the range hood, just simmered it over a low fire, washed the rice into the pot, and chopped a few refreshing side dishes; white steam rose from the stove.

An hour later.

Zhu Wenhao opened his eyes and pushed away the soft quilt that was pressing on him.

He stood up straight and walked towards the dining room.

On the table, two bowls of thick white rice porridge, two plates of stir-fried seasonal vegetables, and a few steamed white buns were arranged neatly.

Su Qinghan walked out of the kitchen carrying two plates of side dishes.

"You're awake." Su Qinghan set down the plates.

"Go wash up. The food is already heated up, let's eat first."

Zhu Wenhao nodded.

He stepped into the washroom, splashed his face with cold water, returned to the dining table, pulled out a chair, and sat down.

The two ate across from each other, neither breaking the silence.

Su Qinghan did not ask why he had stayed in the living room alone last night, nor did she mention the files and power struggles that left people exhausted.

"I looked through your wardrobe yesterday." Her tone was calm. "There are too few winter clothes in the wardrobe. The climate in this small town is much colder and damper than in the city, and it will probably snow in a couple of days. I'll go to the shops in town in a while and pick up a couple of warm coats for you."

"Okay." Zhu Wenhao said while eating. "Just do as you see fit."

Not long after, the meal was finished.

Zhu Wenhao put down his bamboo chopsticks.

Su Qinghan tidied up the leftovers on the table, carried them to the kitchen sink to wash, and then took a rag to the living room to organize his personal belongings.

Just at this moment, three somewhat urgent knocks sounded on the door: "Knock, knock, knock."

Zhu Wenhao stood up from his chair.

He reckoned that at this time, it should be Secretary Chen Jianjun, who had come with the latest breakthrough in the interrogation of Village Secretary Zhang Dahai to report the case to him in person.

He walked to the door, reached out to press the handle, and pulled the door open.

Standing outside the door was not Secretary Chen Jianjun.

The person who had come had a parted hairstyle and was wearing a dark-colored windbreaker. He was carrying two boxes of nutritional supplements in his hands and had two cartons of high-end cigarettes tucked under his arm.

On that greasy face, he squeezed out a very humble smile.

It was Director Zhang, the head of the town health station.

Zhu Wenhao stood inside the threshold, his figure unmoving, looking at him with cold eyes.

Director Zhang Qiu's days were not easy.

He had been caught red-handed at the noodle shop by Su Qinghan and Director Xu Jie. In order to clear his own name and put on a show of "rectifying work style," Director Li Qiang of the County Commission for Discipline Inspection ordered people on the spot to take Director Zhang Qiu to his office to drink tea for half a day, ordering him to confess to problems of irregular law enforcement and accepting bribes.

If it were an ordinary cadre, this hurdle would definitely be hard to overcome.

But Director Zhang Qiu had the backing of the Zhang Clan. After Clan Elder Zhang Laoqi learned the news, he called Secretary Qiu Dehai and threatened and lured him for a while.

Secretary Qiu Dehai was forced into a corner and personally made a call to Secretary Tian Wenguang of the County Commission for Discipline Inspection.

Secretary Tian Wenguang suppressed the directive, letting Director Li Qiang raise the hammer high but let it fall gently, temporarily suppressing the case filing procedure for Director Zhang Qiu's suspected corruption.

However, Clan Elder Zhang Laoqi had made it very clear to Director Zhang Qiu on the phone: Secretary Tian Wenguang could only protect him for a moment. The source and crux of this matter were stuck firmly in the hands of Zhu Wenhao.

People from the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection were also present to witness it; as long as Zhu Wenhao refused to let go and submitted the materials upward, no one could cover up this mess.

The instruction given by Clan Elder Zhang Laoqi was: let Director Zhang Qiu prepare a generous gift himself, go and test the bottom line of that young Deputy Secretary, and strive to resolve the disaster with money in private.

Director Zhang Qiu had inquired about Zhu Wenhao's dormitory room number from the staff at the Party and Government Office.

Carrying these gifts, he rushed over eagerly to pay his respects.

"Director Zhang." Zhu Wenhao spoke. "It's early in the morning; shouldn't you be at home reflecting? Why are you knocking on my door? What is the matter?"

Director Zhang Qiu pushed the gift boxes in his hands forward.

"Secretary Zhu, yesterday afternoon at the noodle shop on South Street, that was purely a misunderstanding. It was that my subordinates were not familiar with the work, handled things crudely, and offended you and the leaders from the city."

He smiled obsequiously, trying to squeeze half his body in.

"I went back and deeply reflected all night. So, today I specially brought some local specialties, and there are some other situations; I want to come inside and report to you in person. Look at me, blocking the hallway so early in the morning; there are many people and eyes, how bad the influence is."

Having been immersed in the grassroots officialdom for many years, Director Zhang Qiu was well-versed in these unspoken rules.

"The county magistrate flows like water, but the clerks of the six offices are like iron."

He was certain that this kind of young chief official who had been parachuted down to gild his resume just wanted to burn a couple of fires to establish his authority. As long as he lowered his posture enough, gave enough face, and offered considerable benefits, everyone could close the doors and reach a benefit exchange, giving him an internal warning to muddle through it.

Once this few years passed and the other party patted their butt and left for a promotion, he, Director Zhang Qiu, would still be the local deity of Heishi Town.

Everything is good for everyone; it has always been like this.

One of his leather shoes had already stepped onto the threshold of the dormitory.

Zhu Wenhao's body did not move a fraction.

He blocked the center of the door frame, forcing Director Zhang Qiu to stop outside the door.

"Director Zhang." Zhu Wenhao's eyes were calm. "If you have daily work of the town health system you want to report, you should find Executive Vice Mayor Qian Dayong; that is the area he is in charge of."

The smile on Director Zhang Qiu's face froze for a moment.

"If you have huge fluctuations in your thinking, or want to actively confess and expose the illegal facts of your past bribery and entrapment law enforcement." Zhu Wenhao continued. "Turn right out the door, second floor of the Town Government Guesthouse. Director Li Qiang of the County Commission for Discipline Inspection is still stationed there. Go to him and surrender; he will accept your materials according to the procedure."

"If." Zhu Wenhao's gaze suddenly turned sharp. "You have opinions on the organizational procedures in this compound and insist on finding me. That is also fine."

Zhu Wenhao issued an eviction order: "Let's talk on Monday morning in the Deputy Secretary's office on the second floor of the government office building, and handle things officially. But before you come, go to the Party and Government Office and find Director Xu Jie first to see if there is any spare time in my schedule to entertain you."

Three consecutive closed doors.

Find Executive Vice Mayor Qian Dayong for work, find Director Li Qiang for surrender, and go through the queue with Director Xu Jie for talks.

Zhu Wenhao blocked every path tightly, all stuck in strict laws and organizational procedures, not leaving Director Zhang Qiu even the slightest gap to maneuver for personal favors.

Director Zhang Qiu was completely dumbfounded.

He had never seen a leader who acted so stiffly and didn't even leave a step to get down.

In this place of poor mountains and evil waters, did this young man really intend not to touch a bit of worldly fireworks and offend everyone in the town?

Forced to this point, the grassroots ruffian spirit in Director Zhang Qiu's bones surged up instead.

"Secretary Zhu." Director Zhang Qiu did not put down the things in his hands. "Don't walk this path too absolutely; there is an old saying, a fierce dragon crossing the river still needs to pay respects to the local pier first."

He brought out his backing: "The situation in Heishi Town is complex. If you insist on biting and not letting go, and doing things too absolutely. Once the water below is stirred up, I'm afraid no one's life will be easy on this one-acre three-cent land. I came today just to leave some face for both sides."

A threat.

A naked showdown of township forces.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Wenhao stood straight, looking at the clown in front of him.

"A fierce dragon crossing the river, paying respects to the local pier?" Zhu Wenhao's tone was very slow. "Director Zhang Qiu. Is this what you, a small health station director, want to say, or did Clan Elder Zhang Laoqi of your Heishui Village ask you to bring it to me?"

The other party broke through Clan Elder Zhang Laoqi in one sentence, showing that this Deputy Secretary knew the underground power structure of the town like the back of his hand.

"Go back and bring a message to Clan Elder Zhang Laoqi." Zhu Wenhao's fingers rested on the edge of the security door.

"Let him open his eyes and watch carefully." Zhu Wenhao's voice was resonant. "Is this Heishi Town, in the end, the Heishi Town of the people, or the Heishi Town of his Zhang Clan?"

"Mencius said, those who follow the Way will receive much support, and those who lose the Way will receive little support. To be content with sordid business will eventually lead to backlash. State law cannot be deceived; wanting to take a few boxes of cigarettes and alcohol to offset the law is wishful thinking."

Zhu Wenhao's gaze swept over the gift boxes in Director Zhang Qiu's hands.

"Take this pile of filthy things away. Within one minute, if you don't take it away, it will appear directly on the desk of Secretary Chen Jianjun of the Town Commission for Discipline Inspection. Count it as another piece of hard evidence of your attempt to bribe a national public official."

The words landed.

Zhu Wenhao did not give Director Zhang Qiu the chance to utter another word.

He put force into his arm.

"Bang."

The heavy door closed heavily in front of Director Zhang Qiu's nose. The sound of the door lock clicking shut completely cut off Director Zhang Qiu's last fantasy.

Director Zhang Qiu stood in the cold hallway, cold sweat soaking the shirt on his back.

He looked down at the valuable gifts in his hands, and then looked at the iron door that did not move at all.

Gritting his teeth, he carried the things and ran down the stairs with panicked steps.